Improvement in machines for sowing cotton-seed



MINER & 'FELTS.

- Cotton-Planter.

No. L696. ,Patensd July '18." 1840 NITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LEVIN MINER AND NIOH. FELTS, OF YANCEYVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SOWING COTTON-SEED, 8w.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1.696, dated July 18,1840.

To aZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, LEVIN MINER and N1011- oLAs FELTs, of Yanceyville,Oaswell county, State of North Carolina, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Machine for Planting Cotton-Seed, Corn, and otherArticles, which is described as follows, reference being had to theannexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview. Fig. 3 is a wheel for planting corn. Fig. 4 is a hopper used withthe same.

The machine generally resembles other planting-machines in use in itsprincipal parts, such as the large wheels AA, Fig. 1, the axle B, beam0, drill D, handles E.

The improvement is in the hopper H, adjustable covers J, and mode ofsuspending the hopper by springs K, and some other minor parts. Thehopper is made in three parts, L M N, connected together. The lowerpart, N, which is secured to the top of the beam, is made of wood, witha rectangular opening in the same. The middle part, M, is made ofleather, forming a spout open at both ends, and is secured at its lowerend in the opening of the lower part, N. The upper part, L, is likewisemade of wood, and is shaped like a common hopper, in which the upper endof the leather spout is secured. It is suspended by cords or chains 0from springs K, rising from the beam in such manner that the upper partof the hopper shall have a swinging movement, in order to shake thecotton-seed, which are light and inclined to lodge against the inside ofthe hopper from the top to the bottom. openings in the beam, over whichthe flexible hopper is placed, and in which the feedingwheel works, arechanneled to admit the cot ton-seed to enter the channels, and in whicha number of teeth, T, work, projecting from the periphery of thefeeding-wheel I, and into which they are inserted in rows corre spondingto said channels, so that as the main wheels revolve and turn the axleon which the feeding-wheel I is fixed shall also turn and cause itsteeth to pick the cotton-seed from said channels and drop them into thefurrow made by the drill placed in advance of the same. feeding-Wheel,and which are fixed obliquely in the beam, are made adjustable to thein- The front and rear ends of the Thecoverers, which follow theequalities of the ground by having a joint, P,

in the beam a little forward of them, intowhich jointed part of the beaman upright standard, Q, is fixed, having a horizontal bar passingthrough it near its upper end, and which also passes through the handlesnear the middle of the same, said handles being connected to two shortjointed standards, R R, let loosely into the beam forward of the hopper,which standards move on a pin, S, passing through the beam and feet ofsaid standards R. the connection of the handles being also effected bymeans of a rod, U, passing horizontally through the handles andstandards, so that by raising the handles the coverers are elevated, andby depressing them they are lowered. To the jointed part of the beam, onthe top of the beam, behind the coverers, at Y Y, is fixed a piece oftimber, V, across and secured to the beam by screws, through which pieceof timber a mortise-hole is cut, through which passes the handle orshank WV of a straight rake, X, which can be lowered or raised atpleasure by means of a wedge, which rake is in a perpendicular position,and is intended to clear away the stones or clods of earth which mightbe thrown on the cottonseed by the coverers.

lVhen it is required to plant corn, the be fore-described wheel andhopper must be removed and others, similar to those repre-' sented inFigs. 3 and 4, substituted therefor, which, being, made like others inuse and not being claimed as new, need not therefore be particularlydescribed; and in the case of other kinds of planting suitable wheelsmust be provided to effect the object desired, fixed on the main axle inthe manner before described. What we claim as our invention, and whichwe desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'The construction of the hopper as before described, and the mode ofsupporting it, in combination therewith, and in forhiingthe beam with amovable joint to allow of the coverers and rake adapting themselves toin.

equalities of surface, and also in the mode of attaching the handles tothe movable and fixed part of the beam, as herein set forth.

LEVIN MINER,

N IOHOLAS FELTS. Witnesses:

HENRY R. LEE, o" HARRY FEL'rs.

